Discovery Flights in Southern California
A discovery flight is the cheapest, fastest, most honest way to find out if flight training is for you. Forty-five minutes in the left seat of a small airplane with a Certified Flight Instructor sitting next to you, flying over Southern California to a destination you choose. You’ll fly the airplane. You’ll handle the controls. You’ll know within an hour whether this is the career or the hobby you thought it would be.
Book a Discovery Flight | Starting at $199
What is a discovery flight
A discovery flight is an introductory flight lesson, FAA-recognized as the first hour of dual instruction toward your Private Pilot Certificate if you decide to continue. You sit in the left seat (where the pilot sits). A CFI sits in the right seat with full controls. They handle taxi, takeoff communication, and landing on your first flight. You handle the airplane in cruise: turns, climbs, descents, the basics of straight-and-level flight.
It’s not a sightseeing tour. It’s a working pilot lesson scaled to a beginner. You’ll come out of it knowing whether the cockpit is where you belong.
What to expect, start to finish
Before you arrive (about a week out)
Book online or by phone. We’ll send a short pre-flight brief: what to wear (closed-toe shoes, layers, no scarves), what to bring (ID, sunglasses, motion-sickness pills if you tend to need them), and a few notes on what you’ll be doing.
When you arrive (30 minutes pre-flight)
Meet your CFI. They’ll walk you through the airplane on the ramp: how the controls work, how the engine works, how the basics of flight work. This is the preflight inspection, the same one every pilot does before every flight.
In the airplane (45 minutes to 60 minutes)
The CFI handles taxi and takeoff. Once you’re at cruise altitude (typically 3,000 to 5,500 feet MSL), they hand you the controls. You’ll do gentle turns, climbs, and descents. They’ll point out landmarks, show you how to read the panel, and answer questions. Most of our first-time fliers are stable, calm, and grinning by minute 10.
The CFI handles the landing, with you on the controls for the approach so you can feel how the airplane decelerates and descends.
After landing (15 minutes post-flight)
Debrief with the CFI. They’ll log your time in a logbook if you want one (the discovery flight counts as your first hour of pilot training time). They’ll answer the question every discovery flight student asks: “So what now?”
Destinations our students pick most often
You can fly anywhere the weather and the airplane’s range allow. The destinations our students request most:
- Catalina Island (KAVX): 26 miles over open water to the iconic “Airport in the Sky.” The most popular discovery destination from our Riverside campus. Lands at 1,602 feet MSL on a hilltop runway. You’ll see the harbor, Avalon, and the Pacific from a perspective almost no one gets.
- Hollywood Sign / Griffith Park: VFR transition through Los Angeles airspace, the photo every new pilot wants. From KRAL, this is a 45-minute round trip.
- Disneyland airspace boundary: fly the edge of the Class D shelf at John Wayne (KSNA), see Disneyland from 2,500 feet AGL. Best at sunset.
- Dana Point and the Pacific coastline: south to the coast, then up the shoreline. Calm air, dramatic views, often the favorite of our older discovery flight students.
- San Bernardino Mountains and Big Bear Lake: from our Redlands campus, this is a 25-minute flight into mountain terrain. Best done morning or evening when winds are calm.
- March Air Reserve Base flyby: see military C-17s, KC-135s, and refuelers from above. KMA Class C transition with ATC.
Pricing
| Flight Type | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Flight (local area, 30 min air time) | 60 minutes total | $199 |
| Extended Discovery (1 hour air time, includes Hollywood Sign or local mountains) | 90 minutes total | $279 |
| Catalina Island Discovery | 2 to 2.5 hours total | $479 |
Prices are per flight, not per person. We can fly two adults plus a CFI in our Cessna 172s (subject to weight and balance).
Who flies a discovery flight
- Anyone considering flight training: the single best way to find out if you actually want to do this
- Birthday and gift purchases: gift cards available for any of the flights above
- Aviation enthusiasts who want a left-seat experience without committing to certification
- Returning pilots considering whether to restart training after years away
What you can do after
If you want to continue, your CFI will walk you through next steps that day: medical certificate, ground school enrollment, training plan, financing. There’s no pressure. About 65 to 75% of our discovery flight students become full training students, and the ones who don’t typically know it within the first 20 minutes of the flight.
FAQ
How old do I need to be? No minimum age for a discovery flight. The minimum age to solo is 16. The minimum age for a Private Pilot Certificate is 17.
Do I need any experience? None. Zero.
Can I bring a passenger? Yes. One adult passenger in the back seat is generally fine, subject to weight and balance and the aircraft type.
Will I get motion sick? Most people don’t. We fly smooth-air windows (mornings and evenings) for discovery flights when possible. If you’re prone to motion sickness, take a non-drowsy formula 30 minutes before the flight.
What if the weather is bad? We reschedule, no charge. Pilot judgment is part of what we’re teaching from minute one.
